To coincide with the 40 th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, the National Archives of Australia wishes to advise that it holds a wide selection of records that deal with Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War.

Some of the issues covered include the initial decision to send troops overseas, their eventual recall, the escalation in numbers, conscription, and objectors to the war.

Individual files can be identified by keyword search using the Archives collection database, RecordSearch.

Of particular interest is a paper prepared for the government by RG Neale, Australia’s Military Commitment to Vietnam, that was tabled in the House of Representatives on 13 May 1975 by then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. The paper exists in a file from the personal papers collection of Sir Keith Waller, former Secretary of the Department of External Affairs as it was then known.

“Bob” Neale was the first Director-General of the Archives and was also Editor of Historical Documents at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The inaugural RG Neale Memorial Lecture — a joint venture between the National Archives and DFAT — was held on 1 st May this year and was delivered by Professor Peter Edwards, a former colleague of Neale’s.

Titled, The fall of Saigon, 1975, the lecture is available online. The following National Archives Fact Sheets are also available: Fact Sheet 117 (Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War) and Fact Sheet 243 (The fall of Saigon, 1975).

If a relative saw action in Vietnam, then the Archives can help families obtain copies of these service records. When requesting a copy of a service record, applicants will need to provide the relative’s full name, service number (if known) and also whether the person served in the Australian Army, Navy or Air Force.

The easiest way to apply is to call up the National Archives website, click on Service Records on the homepage and follow the links to the online order form. For those without Internet access, the Archives has offices in each state and territory capital city where helpful staff will assist with requests. Alternatively, enquiries may be made on 1300 886 881 during normal business hours.

In August 1962, Australia’s military commitment to South Vietnam consisted of a team of 30 military advisers. Following the withdrawal of the last Australian troops in 1972, more than 46000 Australian personnel had served in Vietnam. Of these, 3000 were wounded and almost 500 were killed.